The Last Primal

"[Reptilian] In other words, be it the Sword, Spear, and various martial Emperors, they were not the only ones and every single era would have paragons attaining the title of emperor!"

At that moment, the elderly uncle and secretly the guardian for the Azure Myst Sect paused for a moment before saying deeply.

"[Reptilian] However, throughout history, no matter how heaven-defying they were, all of them are ants before the true lord, the one that stands atop all of them! The Ancient One, the first and the last Guardian of the Gods that once watched this world… He is without a peer throughout history."

Hearing this, Aiden was shocked. At that point, he gradually understood the significance of everything he had learned so far.

Even the Emperors that came out of these so called super sects, clans, tribes, and whatnot could not take on the Ancient One's truly fearsome title.

These mighty beings were merely different aspects of the Martial Arts World. However, the Ancient One was the true leader of all living beings and was above the so called Sword, Spear, and whatever Martial Emperors!

What sort of a peerless genius was befitting of such a title? What could have happened to him that made him so corrupted, so… evil?

The old man reminisced and said slowly. "[Reptilian] Throughout history, the Ancient One was the strongest and most powerful creature with no equal. He was known as the one that tore through the fabric that plagued all entities and turned from a mortal creature into an immortal entity. By his own power and will! In the face of the Ancient One, all the other emperors could only be considered as subjects!"

"The Ancient One experienced no failures throughout his life and reigned across history, arriving at the peak. Sweeping through the world and dominating everything below the heavens, nobody dared to challenge his glory as he looked down on the world and is revered and feared till now!"

Truth be told, after listening to the old man's musing, even Aiden found himself to be barely able to contain his emotions.

A life without failure? Unchallenged below the heavens? Shred away his mortal body and became a true immortal existence?

Someone who singlehandedly reigned across history!

There was no one like him before him and no one dared to claim themselves as one after him!

Letting out a breath of air gently, the old man continued.

"[Reptilian] Of course, the reason why the Ancient One received his title was not only due to his peerless power and indomitable combat strength, but also because of his peerless achievements. Yes, one may say they were evil and scheming but in the Martial Arts World didn't the end results always triumphed over the path one took to reach them? It's no exaggeration to say that it's the Ancient One's credit that the history of this world is the greatest through all times. For better or worse, he is a peerless legend and will remain as such."

"[Reptilian] Do you really believe that what the Ancient One did back then, was evil and a grand betrayal of the trust he shared with his siblings?"

Suddenly, the old man paused and changed the topic, asking.

"[Reptilian] Hard to say… I don't know." Aiden frowned, shaking his head at the question.

In reality, he had pondered over this question before as well.

From the stories and the recounts he had learned, the Ancient One wasn't the type to be so scheming as he was described. In fact, he was the complete opposite, he seemed to be a good elder brother and valiant protector of both his family and towards his gods' assigned duty, this world.

Yet, at some point, he suddenly seemed to change. His personality took a sharp twist and turned against everything he believed in, seemingly out of the blue. He went as far as to kill everything that mattered to him, and became the 'sole' survivor of that brutal clash, that fateful date.

The day when the world was burnt. The Apocalypse.

Aiden felt that some major piece or perhaps even pieces were missing, making him curious to learn more.

He could vaguely sense that a shocking ancient secret was about to be revealed to him.

The old man sighed as he said.

"[Reptilian] It was said that back in the primordial era, there were thousands of different races. Among them, the nine fiercest races reigned supreme and later generations referred to them as the Primordial Nine Races."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, he continued before the young man, Aiden before him could phrase his doubts and concerns. From the growing frown upon his face, the old man was sure that he had some doubts he wanted to clear out.

"In the primordial era, we skinks were extremely weak and were enslaved by the thousands of races without any shred of dignity. We were nothing but bottom dwellers, bullied by everyone else… it was a life worse than death. That was a tragic era of the our reptilian race that is unbearable to think of."

There was a hint of sadness in the old man's tone. It felt like as if he wasn't just telling a story but was truly reminiscing… which was clearly impossible and inconceivable!

"[Reptilian] Not just us skinks, but all kins and brethren of our reptilian race were enslaved and reared by the thousands of races and were the most popular type of food for them. From time to time, they would devour our flesh and drink our blood for enjoyment. That situation continued for a long time until the end of the primordial era where a sudden and historical change happened!"

"[Reptilian] For some unknown reason, a massive war broke out between the thousands of races and corpses and blood filled the entire world! It was an apocalyptic battle that lasted for many years. Tragic and terrible, blood filled the air and countless races were exterminated."

"[Reptilian] After the war of the thousands of races ended, there were only about a hundred or so races left and the primordial era ended."

All the nearby martial artists were immersed in the old man's story and was listening with keen interest.

"[Reptilian] The primordial era was a chaotic time, only to be followed by a similar one, that whilst held no name in the annals of history, was just as violent, just as barbaric."

The old man sighed with emotion before continuing.

"[Reptilian] Because of the war that lasted for countless years, the thousands of races could barely fend for themselves and finally, our race got its much needed respite, seizing the opportunity for an uprising."

"[Reptilian] Born weak, we lizardfolk relied on comprehending our wits, and agility to create many secret skills to modify our bodies. We could innately sense and absorb this invisible, etheral energy, this mana in the air and grow our body! With our natural born traits, our fangs, our claws and tails grow thicker, stronger, sturdier with each accomplished cycle our pioneers accomplished, turning our race from a mere failure into what we are today."

"[Reptilian] We established the baselines of what is now our civilization and born rise to a new series of Emperors. In order to break free from our fates of being slaves for the others, under the lead of multiple emperors, we lizardfolk finally started resisting! We fought against the hundred races that were led by the Primordial Nine Races for our future and finally, a glorious era that belonged to no one but us have arrived!"

At that point, many listeners were streaming with warm tears, as if they had traveled back in time to this ancient era and were living in it, witnessing the rise of their proud race themselves!

Gripping his fists tightly even Aiden felt emotional, despite the fact that down to his core he wasn't one of them. The many absorbed essences, the souls he claimed as his own during his journey have deeply affected him. He truly felt as one of them, he shared their pain, their worry… as well as their hope for a better future.

The old man sighed once more and coughed continuing after a bit.

"[Reptilian] A historic war was invoked between the reptilian races and the hundred races, lasting for a long time and countless experts and mighty figures of the ancient era fell. The emperors were soaked in blood and it was extremely tragic"

"[Reptilian] That was the ancient war which all of you have heard of."

Hearing that, Aiden nodded. Yet at the same time, he felt the story to be resonating in a familiar tune, reminding him of the faint images of the visions he was shared with back in the primal altar at the Orc's Tower on Eora.

That time, a similar event have transpired but there the story ended with a different tune. It wasn't the oppressed that came out victorious but the hundred races and the Primals have fallen, lost in time… With him being the last survivor.

Still, why were there such similarities? Why were there similar energies, similar vibes shared across multiple words? What was the truth behind all this?

Just what happened back then?